The poor little Kid lamented and went back home. At noon he again asked the Tsar: "Tsar, let me go down to the lake and get a drink of water and bathe myself."
The Tsar let him go. The poor little Kid ran down to the lake again, and began to lament piteously:
"Dear Aliona, sister mine!
Come forth, come forth upon the shore!
The flaming fire is burning bright,
The boiling pot is bubbling o'er,
They're sharpening the steely knife,
They're going to take away my life."
She answered him:
"Oh, Ivan, little brother, dear!
A heavy stone keeps me down here,
A cruel snake gnaws at my heart."
The poor little Kid lamented and went home.
But the Tsar began to think: What can this mean? The little Kid keeps going down to the lake."
Then for the third time the poor little Kid asked: "Tsar, let me go down to the lake and get a drink of water and bathe myself."
The Tsar let him go, but this time followed him.
